Locomotive starting valve



Sep-t. 18, 1934. B, E FQLKE 1,974,181

LOCOMOTIVE STARTING VALVE Filed Sept. 22, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 18, 1934. B, E. FoLKE LOCOMOTIVE STARTING VALVE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed sept. 22. 192s Sept. 1s, 1934. E, E FOLKE 1,974,181

LOCOMOTIVE STARTING VALVE Filed Sept. 22, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Sept. 18, 12934 UNITED STATESA FFIQ PATENT 1,974,181 LoooMorIvE STARTING VALVE Application september 22, 192s, 'serial No. 307,625

7 Claims.

10 somewhat serious objections, in that it impairs the starting eiiort, particularly in some positions oi the cranks.

`Efforts have been made Vto provide means to' supplement the tractive effort at starting and slow speeds by increasing the period of full steam pressure, but all such means known to me have certain objections, that tend to off-set the advantages.v

An object of my inventionis to provide a supplemental or auxiliary valve adapted to admit the steam at Vboiler pressure to the cylinder throughout 90% of the stroke, said valve being manually thrown into and out of operation and reciprocated by the same gear that moves the main valve.

' By properly designing the steamr passages through the Valve and correlating the size of the passages to the available steam pressure, 11am able to automatically proportion the steam admission to the speed of the locomotive. Inother words, I am able to provide for 90% cut-oli with full pressure at very slow speeds with a gradually reduced pressure available throughout 90% of the stroke as the speed increases. This is accomplished by providing a relatively small intake pipe. This hasanother important advantage, in that it is instantly effective under slipping conditions. If the drivers begin to slip, the auxiliary power applied thereto is instantly reduced without action by the engineer. This for the reason that with rapidly turning wheels the amount of steam thatl can be admitted through the relatively small ports provided for auxiliary admission is insucient to provide any appreciable amount of power. In other words, under these conditions the long cut-off is practically ineffective. Y

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section showing .a portion of a locomotive to which my improvement has been applied. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-.2- of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view through the starting Valve and controlling mechanism therefor.

Fig. 4 is an end View of the construction shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional View on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the bell crank for throwing the valve into and out of operation, and

Fig. '7 is a plan View of the yoke connecting the valve stem or piston rod to the operating rocker.

In the drawings, the locomotive Valve gear is indicated generally at A, the steam cylinder at B, the main valve at C, and my novel starting valve at D. The valve gear may be of any preferred form, the well-known Walshaert gear being illustrated.

My auxiliary valve, as best shown in Fig. 3, comprises a casing or cylinder l0, having an inlet 11 7 and outlets indicated in'dotted lines at 141-15. The casing is preferably mounted on the top of the steam chest by means of the heavy bracket 10a. As shown in Fig. 1, pipes 14-15 extend from the respective outlets and communicate with openings in the steam chest containing the main valve C. These openings are called peepholes. Thus, steam is admitted direct from the steam pipe or boiler through the inlet 11, and after passing through the starting valve, directly into the steam cylinder.

The casing lo is provided with the usual bushing 17 and with a4 reciprocating balanced valve 18 having a stem or piston rod 19 which projects through a packing gland 20 in an end wall oi the cylinder. In the position of the valve shown in Fig. 3, steam is permitted to pass directly from the'inlet, through the ports and out through the pipe 14 into the left hand end of the cylinder shown in Fig. 1 regardless of the position of the main valve. This is illustrated in Fig. 2.

Connected to the projecting `end of the valve stem19 is a yoke 2l best shown in Fig. '7, in the two arms of which are mounted stud-bolts 22. `These bolts engage in ear pieces 23 having flanges 24 that are bolted through each other and through the wall of a rocker 25. The ears 23 are so po. sitioned as to leave a space 26 between the inside faces of the ears and the outside faces oi the rocker. The rocker is adapted to be oscillated by means of a link 27 that is connected to a portion of the valve gear immediately adjacent tothe connection to the main valve.

Whether or not the starting or auxiliary valve rangement.

jects downwardly to be engaged by a plunger rod 33 tha-t projects into a cylinder 34 and has a piston 35 secured thereto. A stii spring 36 bears at one end against the piston and at itszopposite end against a cap 37 that closes lthe otherwise open end of the cylinder. Air is admitted through the pipe 38 into the space within the cylinder and is adapted to move the piston into the'position shown in Fig. 3 thus oscillating the bellcranliand moving the iulcrum block into the position shown in that iigure. The pipe 38 extends -from Ythe air cylinder to a valve 39 having a ootfoperated pedal 40 located in the cab of the locomotive and adapted'to be actuatedmanually bythe engineer.

The operation is as follows: When the engine is to be started or when its speed has been reduced to a point where a longer cut-off is required, the engineer steps on the pedalfi() thus admitting'air into the cylinder 34 and moving .the piston and connected parts into the position shown in Fig. 3. n this position, motion will be transmitted from the valve gear to the valve 1S, thus opening and closing the ports, and due to the-design and arrangement, admitting steam at substantially boiler pressure to the main cylinder throughout 90% of the stroke without regard to the operation of the main valve.

is the speed of the engine increases, the full boiler pressure will not be available throughout the entire 90% of the stroke dueto the fact that the pipe connections from the auxiliaryor starting valve to the cylinder are made sufciently small to prevent the passage of the required volume of steam at boiler pressure. Inthe `design here submitted, the outlet pipes are 11/4 inches which has been round yto Vbe a Vsatisfactorysize in order to accomplishthe desired purposes. As the speed ofthe engine still further increases, .the effect of the starting valve is furtheriesseneduntil at a speed or" l5 to 18 miles per hour, theefect is not appreciable over a normal% cut-01T Yar The engineer will 'then release the air Valve allowing the return of thepiston to its rearward position. This will eect movement of the plunger and the returnof the fulcrum block to a position at which the pivot Athrough the fulcrurn block is coincident with the pivot of the Vrocker in the yoke 21. At this pointit will be seen there will be no furtherreciprocation of the valve 18 and it will be heldin a middle position with both ports closed. Thus during normal operation of the engine the starting valve is wholly in` operative and does not affect in anyway the operation of the main valve with its designed-cuto.

The size of the outlets which have been described herein as 11/4 inches will vary-somewhat according to boiier pressuresbut theyshouldbe sodesigned as to limit the volume of steamthat may be passed therethrough to an amount appreciably less than is passed through the main valve at maximum cut-off.

Another advantage in the use of'small'pipe connections is that theclearance spaceis notgreatly increased. -As all the steam in the "clearance space is exhausted and lost at each cycle, this space should be kept as small as possible.

1. The combination with a steam cylinder, steam chest having peep holes, and valve gear of a locomotive, of a starting valve having an inlet and outlets mounted adjacent to said steam chesta .pipe connectionfrom-a steam pipe to the inlet of said starting valve, pipes extending from the outlets of said starting valve to the peep holes Aof the steam chest, crank mechanism connecting the starting valve to the valve gear, and means Tor shifting said crank mechanism to render said starting :valve voperative or inoperative by said valve gear.

2. In -a steam 'locomotive having a cylinder, a piston, a .steam chest, main steam supply ports and passages, a main steam valve set to give a limitedicut-off when in full-gear position, and an adjustable valve gear for operating and re versingfsaidxmain valve andaltering-its cut-Cif Within Ithe limited range 'for which the valve is set; the combination with said adjustable valve gear, oim'cans previ/ding by-passesier.delivering supplementary steam around'said main valve to the cylinder independently of the main valve in order to start the locomotive, supplementary valve means independent of Vthe main valve adapted to open and close said by-passes, operating -ineans connected ,between said adjustable f valve gear and said supplementary valve means, and means for shifting said operating means, sc as to-renderthe supplementary supply means operative-or inoperativeas.required but Without affecting the cut-offer the main valve.

3. rEhe combination with a cylinder,.main valve and valvefgear of a locomotive, said valve gear including a combination lever, of means `providing by-passes for steam .around said `main valve to the cylinder, starting valve :means adapted to open `andclose said by-passes, operating means between the combinationilever and said starting valvemeans, and vmeans for shifting said operating means so as to render the starting valve means operative or inoperative as required.

.4. In a steam locomotive having a cylinder, a piston, a lsteam chest, vmain steam supply ports and passages, `a main steam valveset to give a limited cut-offwhen in fullgearposition and an adjustable valve gear 'f or operating Nand' reversing said main valve and altering its cut-ofi within the limited range for'whichthevalveis set; the combination with said adjustable Valve gear, of means providing'byepasses for delivering supplementary steam around said main valve to lthe cylinder independently of said main valve in order to start the llocomotive, supplementary valve means 'independent 'of the main valve adapted to open and close said byepasses, oper= ating means connected between said adjustable l valve'gear and said supplementary valve means, said operating means including airccker'link and a block slidable therein, and means Afor shifting said'block either to a position where the operating means will be operative or to aposition where it will be inoperativeV whereby to'rendersaid suppleinentary'valve means operative'or inoperative as required but without affecting the vcut-off of-themain valve.

5. Means for starting arlimited cut-off locomotive having a cylinder, a piston, asteam chest, main steam supply ports `and passages, a .main steam valve, and an adjustable valve gear ,for operating and -reversing said main zvalve and altering its cut-off, said main Valve and said adjustable valve gear being set so as to give a limited cut-off when in full-gear position; said means including in combination With said adjustable valve gear, supplementary passages for supplying steam to the cylinder independently of the main valve, starting Valve means independent of the main valve for controlling said supplementary passages, means cooperating with the adjustable valve gear for opening and closing said starting valve means in timed relation to the piston movement to admit steam to the cylinder throughout sufficient of the piston stroke to effect starting of the locomotive, said means for opening and closing the starting valve means including a member which is movable either to an operative or to an inoperative position, and means for moving said member to render said starting valve means operative or inoperative as desired without aecting the cut-off of the main valve.

6. Means for starting a limited cut-off locomotive having a cylinder, a piston, a steam chest, main steam supply ports and passages, a main steam valve and an adjustable valve gear for operating and reversing said main steam valve and altering its cut-off, said main valve and said valve gear being set so as to give a limited cutoff when in full-gear position; said means including in combination With said adjustable valve gear, supplementary passages for supplying steam to the cylinder independently of the main valve, starting valve means independent of the main valve for controlling said supplementary passages, operating means connected between said valve gear and said starting valve means, said operating means including a member which is movable either to a position where the starting valve means will be operative or to a position where the starting valve means will be inoperative, and means for moving said member to one or the other of said positions as desired Without aiecting the cut-off of the main valve.

7. In a steam locomotive having a cylinder, a piston, a steam chest, main steam supply ports and passages, a main steam valve set to give a. limited cut-01T when in full-gear position, and an adjustable valve gear for operating and reversing said main valve and altering its cut-01T Within the limited range for which the valve is set; said valve gear including a combination lever; the combination with said adjustable valve gear and its combination lever, of means providing Icy-passes for delivering supplementary steam around said main valve to the cylinder independently of said main valve in order to start the locomotive, supplementary valve means independent of the main valve adapted to open and close said by-passes, operating means connected between said combination lever and said supplementary valve means, and means for shifting said operating means so as to render the supplementary supply means operative or inoperative as required without aiecting the cut-off of the 'f main valve.

BENGT E. FOLKE. 

